**2. What gives circularity to the product life cycle thinking?**

The idea of Circular Economy is an integral vision that helps us to rethink our economy and our society. Therefore, it is not a question of "circularizing" the economy but of "circularizing" society [19].

Therefore, Circular Economy constitutes a driving incentive to this transformation and contributes to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of UN 2030 Agenda. It offers a holistic framework to redesign the system, a new model that would take us into the "humanity's sweet spot" within Kate Raworth's "doughnut" [20] of social impacts and needs (**Figure 1**).

In principle, Circular Economy redefines the relationship between economy, society and nature. Its model distinguishes economic growth from natural resource depletion and ecological overload. Circular Economy aims to eliminate accumulated imbalances in the linear system and it combines economic prosperity with environmental caution. The concept of Circular Economy is based on the fundamental and obvious assumption that resources are limited and they must be preserved for future generations. It mimics nature by cycling resources. This requires sustainable consumption and production based on the so-called eco-design or environmentally responsible design [1, 21].

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, "Economics by design must be restorative and aim to maintain products, components and materials at maximum utility and value, differentiating technical from biological cycles" (**Figure 2**).

*Fostering Education for Circular Economy through Life Cycle Thinking DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.98606*

#### **Figure 2.**

*Diagram of circular economy systems. Source: Towards the circular economy. Economic and business rationale for an accelerated transition [1].*

**Figure 3.**

*R-ladder of circularity strategies. Source: Netherlands environmental assessment agency [22].*

In the last decade, many companies in different sectors in Europe have opted for circular models through five fundamental axes [22]: circular entries, extension of product use, recovery of resources, platforms for sharing and product as a service.

In other words, companies are moving from the linear model of extracting, making and throwing away, to the circular model highlighted by the 9R Framework of Circular Approaches or the so-called 10R ladder of circularity strategies [6, 23].

#### **Figure 4.**

*Circularity diagrams. Source: United Nations environmental Programme's circularity platform [6].*

From greater to lesser impact, these strategies are: R0 refuse, R1 rethink, R2 reduce, R3 reuse, R4 repair, R5 refurbish, R6 remanufacture, R7 repurpose, R8 recycle, R9 energy recovery (**Figures 3** and **4**).

In the circular model, apart from recycling, with the emphasis lying on reduction and reuse, it is necessary to make greater efforts. The concept of circular economy covers the entire lifecycle of the product, so it requires a much broader and systemic approach, with a special emphasis on education, than the traditional approach to production. For instance, regarding the fashion industry, a key question would be: Should our model of sustainability clothing be based only on the recycling container?

### **3. Product life cycle and circular economy**

For manufacturers, product design has traditionally meant "design for manufacture". In other words, producers want to place on the market quality products as quickly as possible and at the lowest possible cost, without worrying about what will happen at the end of the product's life. Instead, "design for circularity" considers the entire life of the product, from design to production, through its use and its reuse, to the end of life. Circularity is a feasible way to serve both, people and the planet, while still making a profit, and has become a "hot topic" in engineering studios as well as boardrooms and legislative chambers [24, 25].

A challenge that needs to be addressed in Product Life Cycle Management (PLM), in a decentralized knowledge intensive environment, is the collaboration between the stakeholders involved in all product lifecycle activities and in an extended enterprise context, this collaboration involves, among others, the network of researchers, designers, producers, retailers and consumers. Technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) or Big Data could enable this challenge. At the same time, new challenges related to growing concerns with sustainability issues

#### *Fostering Education for Circular Economy through Life Cycle Thinking DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.98606*

and the increasing significance of Circular Economy approaches, which require improved products that can be used longer and with multiple lifecycles are emerging [26]. This scenario poses challenges to future PLM systems, especially those intended for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which have limited internal resources and strongly rely on collaboration with external partners, suppliers and customers.

Therefore, PLM has become an important Circular Economy driver [27]. It has a paramount importance because PLM involves the whole lifecycle of a product, consumer good or service, from cradle to cradle and it is the only management system capable of addressing all the sustainability information necessary to pass from a linear design and manufacturing concept to a circular one.

PLM systems are information management systems that can integrate data, processes and business systems in extended enterprises. PLM systems have become interesting supporting tools in the transition to the Circular Economy, as they help integrating information across multiple life cycles as well as various stakeholders in the value chain [28].

In summary, when in the late 1970s Walter R. Stahel coined the term "cradle to cradle" C2C [29] and in 2002 Michael Braungart and William McDonough published a book entitled "Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things" [30], a manifesto for cradle-to-cradle design that exposed specific details of how to achieve the model, few would have imagined the importance of the PLM through the entire Lifecycle and even less the introduction of sustainability concepts involved in the Circular Economy definition, such as reducing, reusing, repairing, remanufacturing, repurposing, recycling, etcetera [31].
